Ranger Uranium Mine
The Commonwealth government's commitment to land rights was put to an early test.
The 1977 Aboriginal Land Rights Act exempted certain mining projects from the need to obtain the consent of the local Land Council. And it wasn't long before the Government invoked this exemption to give the go ahead for its Ranger uranium mine development in the Alligator River region of the Northern Territory. As a result, in 1978, local aboriginal people were forced into negotiations over the terms of the project.
There was considerable disagreement about the need for the mine. However, pressured by government threats to water down the Land Rights Act if it didn't agree, the Northern Land Council endorsed the Ranger agreement in November the next year.
Crown Land
Topic
colonisation, doctrine of tenure, indigenous Australians, International law, native title, New South Wales, sovereignty, terra nullius
Native Title & Statutory Land Rights
Topic
High Court judgement, land rights, Mabo judgement, native title
A Queen's Birthday Feast
Text
1839-1842
Eyre, Edward John, Kaurna people, land boundaries, land ownership, Murray River, reserves, Sale of Waste Lands Act (1842), South Australia
Edward John Eyre
Text
1833-1845
Eyre, Edward John, land boundaries, land ownership, rations, reserves
The Whitlam Government & Land Rights
Topic
1972-1975
Australian Labor Party, land rights, Whitlam, Gough
Northern Territory Land Rights Act
Topic
1975
Aboriginal Land Rights Act (Northern Territory)(1976), Australian Labor Party, Fraser, Malcolm, land rights, Northern Territory, Whitlam, Gough
Ranger Inquiry
Text
1975-1979
Aboriginal Land Rights Act (Northern Territory)(1976), Arnhem Land, Fraser, Malcolm, Kakadu National Park, land rights, mining, Northern land Council, Northern land Council, Northern Territory, Northern Territory, Ranger Uranium Mine, Whitlam, Gough, Yolgnu, Yunupingu, Galarrwuy
Priscilla Girrabul
Text
Arnhem Land, Girrabul, Priscilla, Kakadu National Park, land ownership, land rights, mining, Northern Territory, Ranger Uranium Mine
Develop Ranger First
Newspaper
May, 26, 1977
Arnhem Land, mining, Northern Territory, Ranger Uranium Mine
Aborigines' Negotiator Now Rejects Ranger Agreement
Newspaper
Oct, 10, 1978
mining, Northern land Council, Northern Territory, Ranger Uranium Mine
